Search and Adventure
by Anubis Enfield
Summary: He told me I would find him. That this stupid device would help me, but the only thing it's done is cause me trouble. "You better not be on the fritz again. The last time you went off, you sent me to the bloody circus." He's the only chance I have of getting back home, but I was looking for big ears and leather jacket, not rude and lanky in a suit. And definitely not killer trees.


**Just curious to see what the Doctor would do upon meeting someone alien who'd been looking for him. Random idea/character that I needed to get out of my head.**

* * *

I sniffed loudly, ignoring the odd looks I received as I tapped at the device hanging off a chain around my neck.

"Come on, you stupid thing." I grumbled. "Did you find him or not?"

I scratched at my neck, before I heard a quiet gasp and I looked up a little to see a boy sitting across from me on the subway staring with wide eyes and tugging on his mother's sleeve. She ignored him, since she was on the phone, but I smirked and lifted a finger to my lips; knowing what he'd seen.

"Sh." I shushed him, one of my canines peeking out and making the kid pale before the train announced the next station and I hurried off it.

Once I'd gotten above ground, I gripped the device tightly in my fist as it chirped and flashed a light red color.

"You better not be on the fritz again." I muttered to it as I took off in the direction it indicated. "The last time you went off, you sent me to the bloody circus."

I stopped at a corner and gave it a look.

"I'll admit, the elephant man was kind of sketchy, but he wasn't an alien and I almost got arrested so this better be your way of making it up to me."

The device just continued its chirping and I huffed a little, ignoring the way my breath fogged in the chilly winter weather and tugging my hood up over my white-blonde hair. I sniffed again, hoping to catch the scent of _something_ inhuman, but I got nothing, so I simply continued on my way; following the directions the scanner was providing for me. I ended up in a shopping center and I scratched the back of my head as I looked around. _I'm not_ seeing _anything alien._ I frowned down at the device and stuffed it back down my hoodie as I shoved my hands in my pockets and headed to the nearest street vendor for a cup of coffee. I could hear music though and once I had my cup, I searched around until I spotted a group of Santas playing Christmas music and I scoffed through my nose. _I'll never understand this holiday._

Shaking my head, I sipped at my drink and looked around for anything off, but the only thing I found odd, was how the band started to move. _Usually they stay in one place, don't they? Why bother moving?_ I frowned in suspicion and pulled out the device once more, pointing it towards the group out of pure curiosity, but when it started going off like mad I knew something was up. I pushed off the building I had been leaning against and chugged the rest of my drink—not caring how it scalded my tongue—as I moved over towards the two people the Santas were apparently following. I sniffed again, and caught the hint of something that I could only describe as that zing you get when you eat something spicy, and something metallic. And when the Santa with the trombone held it strangely, I hurried over and grabbed the blonde and her companion with a shout.

"Run!"

They allowed me to pull them along as the Santas shot at the lot of us.

"It's us! They're after us!" The blonde shouted and I rolled my eyes and ducked behind a Christmas tree.

It toppled over when the tube-carrying Santa shot it, and I tugged the two along once more.

"Stop chatting and run!"

"What's going on? What've we done? Why are they after us?!"

"Taxi!" I hollered out, shoving the two in a cab and sliding in next to them as the car took off and I scowled at the device around my neck. "Well, that wasn't exactly what I was looking for, you daft thing."

"Who are you?" The blonde asked and I gave her a look.

"What is it with you lot and introductions? Honestly." I sighed, tucking the device away and introducing myself anyway. "I'm Claude Bennet. You two?"

"Rose Tyler and this is, um, Mickey. Mickey Smith." She said, gesturing to the bloke beside her. "And thanks, I guess for helping us out back there."

I shrugged. "It's fine. No worries."

Mickey though, complained. "I can't even go shopping with you. We get attacked by a brass brand."

Rose started phoning someone and Mickey frowned.

"Who're you phoning?"

"My mum." She replied, but grew annoyed. "Get off the phone!"

"Who were those Santa things?" Mickey asked and I hummed.

"Not your usual holiday players, that's for sure. Couldn't tell you their origin though. You can get those things anywhere nowadays."

Rose frowned at me. "How'd you know that?"

"I'd be lying if I just said I was clever." I muttered, sniffing in deeply again, but that spicy zing was still there and I eyed her. "Why do you smell like that? You've got this sort of zing to you."

"What?" She asked, confused and I shook my hand in front of my face.

"Never mind."

The cab pulled up to their apartment and we all stepped out, before my device went off again and I pulled it out as Mickey eyed me suspiciously.

"What's that then?"

"Scanner." I said absentmindedly. "It's been on the fritz lately though. Can't trust the darn thing, though I supposed it helped with your Christmas friends." I paused then, pointing to the blonde one. "Hold on a minute. What did you say your name was?"

"Ugh, we don't have time for this!" She groaned, rushing off, but I hurried after her.

"You said Rose, right? Rose Tyler? Do you know where the Doctor is?"

She stopped and quickly rounded on me, making me jolt back as she eyed me suspiciously.

"Who are you? How do you know about the Doctor?"

I held up my hands in surrender. "Uh, truthfully? I met a friend of his who said finding him would be the best chance I have of..." I trailed off, looking away as I swallowed my words. "He said he could help me. So I've been looking for him." I pulled the scanner out and held it up by the chain as it chirped lightly. "That's what this is for. Scans for alien threats. I figured if I found that, he wouldn't be far behind."

Rose scoffed at that, turning away and hurrying back towards the apartment. "Sounds like him."

I furrowed my brows in confusion, realizing she never answered my question, and I hurried after her.

"Wait! Do you know where he is or not?"

She ignored me and burst into an apartment where a woman was chatting away on a phone, just as my scanner went off loudly and I cursed; turning the volume down for now until I could get a chance to attempt to fix it.

"Get off the phone." Rose demanded from the woman.

"It's only Bev." Said woman complained as Rose took the phone. "She says hello."

"Bev? Yeah, look. It'll have to wait." She said, hanging up the phone as I let out a low whistle.

"Touchy."

She ignored my comment and spoke quickly. "Right, it's not safe. We've got to get out. Where can we go?"

"My mate Stan." Mickey offered. "He'll put us up."

"That's only two streets away." Rose argued, turning to the other woman as I frowned and pulled out my scanner. "What about Mo? Where's she living now?"

"I don't know. Peak District."

"Well, we'll go to cousin Mo's then."

I raised a hand, the other pointing my scanner at the stairs. "What's up here then? My scanner's going bonkers."

The other woman spoke up though, before Rose could say anything. "What are you babbling about? It's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! And who's she?"

I rolled my eyes. "Honestly! Introductions? _Now_?"

"Mum." Rose said, staring at something. "Where'd you get that tree? That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?"

I turned towards the group with a confused look. "What's a tree got to do with it?"

Rose's mother nodded. "I thought it was you."

"How can it be me?"

"Well, you went shopping. There was a ring at the door, and there it was!"

"No, that wasn't me."

"Then who was it?"

Seeing where this was going, I turned my scanner towards said tree and paled. "Uh, guys? It's not a tree."

"What?"

The tree lit up then and started playing some Christmas carol I didn't bother to remember and I quickly started shoving the lot up the stairs.

"Nothing good! Run!"

The tree started to spin before becoming a violent mass of slicing branches as it headed our way and I grabbed a chair in a vain attempt to fend it off as I shouted for the group to keep going.

"We've got to save the Doctor!" I heard Rose shout and I turned my head to her in annoyance.

"He's here?! And what do you mean save him?! Shouldn't it be the other way around?!"

"Not now!" She shouted back and I groaned as I tried to keep my fear from showing; the Christmas tree heading my way and starting to shred the legs of the chair.

There were shouting for me to get out and I quickly threw the rest of the chair at the tree and hurried in with the others into a bedroom where a man lying asleep was.

"Who's this then?" I asked as Mickey slammed the door closed.

"Help me block the door!" He shouted and I groaned, but helped him start pushing a dresser up against the door as best we could.

"Doctor, wake up!" I heard Rose shouting at the man and I gave her a disbelieving look.

" _That's_ the Doctor?"

"Push, would you!"

I rolled my eyes and did so, leaning up against the dresser as it started to shake from the tree trying to get in, but I knew it wouldn't last, if the chair was any sign of what this thing could do against wood. I wasn't paying attention to what Rose was doing as the tree burst through and tossed Mickey and I away; myself hitting the corner of the footboard with a cringe as I crumpled to the ground before the tree. My eyes widened in fear as the tree headed my way and I clenched my eyes shut just before there was a loud noise and the tree blew up. I opened my eyes in shock—glad I was alive, but wondering what happened—and I sat up with a hand on my injured side as I spotted the man sitting up in his bed with some pen-light in his hand.

"Blimey." I breathed out as he spoke.

"Remote control. But who's controlling it?" He got up and grabbed a robe, before spotting me and grinning. "Hello there! And who are you?"

"C-Claude." I muttered, accepting his hand up with a wince. "Claude Bennet."

"Claude." He repeated, mulling over my name. "French, right? Love the French. They sure can throw a party. But anyway, nice to meet you, Claude. I'm the Doctor."

I blinked, not really sure what to make of this man before me—who was supposedly the Doctor—and simply followed him out the door, too stunned for words. The group of us followed after him, only pausing once we were outside and able to see the Santas from earlier standing below us on the concrete.

"That's them. What are they?" Mickey asked, but Rose shushed them as the Doctor aimed his pen-light at them and they teleported away.

"They've just gone. What kind of rubbish were they?" Mickey scoffed. "I mean, no offense, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver's going to scare them off."

"Pilot fish." The Doctor said and I hummed with a nod.

"Good description."

He raised a brow at me as Rose gave the two of us an odd look.

"What?"

"They were just pilot fish." The Doctor repeated, before choking and falling backwards in pain.

"What's wrong?"

"You woke me up too soon." The Doctor said as he panted. "I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy."

He opened his mouth and gold dust came out, setting my scanner haywire before I shut it off; not seeing the odd look the Doctor gave me as I did. I wrinkled my nose though, it not appreciating the spicy scent of the gold dust.

"You see?" The Doctor continued. "The pilot fish could smell it a million miles away. So they eliminate the defense—that's you lot—and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of—Ow!" He bolted up only to fall against the opposite wall. "My head. I'm having a neuron implosion. I need..."

"What do you need?" Rose's mother asked, not allowing him to get a word out.

"I need..."

"Say it. Tell me, tell me, tell me."

"I need..."

"Painkillers?"

"I need..."

"Do you need aspirin?"

"I need..."

"Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I don't know, Pepto-Bismol?"

"I need..."

"Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?"

"I need..."

"Is it food? Something simple. Bowl of soup. A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?"

"I need you to shut up." The Doctor finally grunted out and I snorted as Rose's mother gave Mickey a look.

"Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?"

The Doctor let out another pained groaned and moved back to the adjacent wall, panting again as he tried to speak. "We haven't got much time. If there's pilot fish, then… Why's there an apple in my dressing gown?" He asked, suddenly pulling out an apple and making me smack myself in the forehead at how he easily strayed from the topic.

"Oh, that's Howard. Sorry." Rose's mother apologized.

"He keeps apples in his dressing gown?"

"He gets hungry."

"What? He gets hungry in his sleep?"

"Sometimes."

"Argh!" He grunted, sinking to the floor as he grabbed Rose by the shoulders. "Brain collapsing. The pilot fish. The pilot fish mean that something... something... something is coming."

He finally collapsed and I chewed my bottom lip in worry as Rose called out orders.

"Help me get him back upstairs."

Mickey and I helped her carrying him back to the bedroom from before and I raised my hand.

"I'll, uh, get a wet cloth or something."

She nodded as she brushed the Doctor's hair back off his forehead and I hurried downstairs and wet a small towel before bringing it up. I went to place it on his head to wipe some sweat away, but Rose snatched out of my hands fiercely with a glare while I held my own hands up in surrender.

"Right, sorry." I muttered, not seeing what the problem was, but knowing that I hardly knew these people and they probably didn't trust me.

So I walked out of the room and plopped down outside the door as Mickey passed by. He didn't look too pleased, but I paid no mind to him as I pulled a hand through my—now black—hair. _Thankfully I had my hood up, so they probably won't notice, but who knows. Humans are complicated._ I sighed and scratched at the back of my hand where a black gecko tattoo lay; watching as it crawled back up under my sleeve upon scratching at it. _That little kid on the subway caught sight of it earlier, but the others were clueless. Kids always seem to catch on faster than adults. Wonder how long it will take these humans to figure it out. Or the Doctor, for that matter._ Which brought me to another thought. _This isn't what I was told he looked like. He was supposed to have big ears and a leather jacket. So is this really him? Or is 'the Doctor' just a title or inheritance?_ I frowned, puzzled, before Rose came out of the room and eyed me.

"Um, what're you doing here?"

I raised a brow. "Thinking? Am I not allowed to think?"

She shook her head. "No, I mean. What are you doing sitting there? There's chairs and stuff downstairs."

I wrinkled my nose. " _Chairs_. Cushions are better. Good for your posture."

She gave me a look and I sighed before getting up.

"Yes, yes. I'm coming. Ignore my rambling."

We went downstairs and she spoke with her mother for a bit as I plopped down on the floor before the TV, absentmindedly watching as the news went on to talk about some Mars landing.

" _Scientists in charge of Britain's mission to Mars have re-established contact with the Guinevere One space probe. They're expecting the first transmission from the planet's surface in the next few minutes._ "

" _Yes, we are. We're, we're back on schedule. We've received the signal from Guinevere One. The Mars landing would seem to be an unqualified success._ "

" _But is it true that you completely lost contact earlier tonight?_ "

" _Yes, we had a bit of a scare. Guinevere seemed to fall off the scope, but it, it was just a blip. Only disappeared for a few seconds. She is fine now, absolutely fine. We're getting the first pictures transmitted live any minute now. I'd better get back to it, thanks._ "

I snorted. _Who loses a space probe? God, humans are_ so _far behind it's a shock no one's come to conquer them yet. Wouldn't be hard with how clueless they are sometimes._ I mused as Mickey popped something up on his laptop and I leaned back on my hands to take a peak.

"Here we go, pilot fish. Scavengers, like the Doctor said. Harmless. They're tiny. But the point is, the fish swim alongside the big fish."

"Do you mean like sharks?" Rose asked, leaning over the back of his chair to look at the screen as well.

"Great big sharks." Mickey said. "So, what the Doctor means is, we had them." He pointed to some small fish on the screen. "Now we get that."

A shark popped on screen and gnashed its jaws as I hummed.

"Like I said. Pilot fish is a pretty good description. I would've called them goons or puppets, but that description works better."

"Something is coming." Rose muttered and I rolled my eyes, realizing that she really didn't like me for some reason and was intent on ignoring my presence.

Rose's mother wasn't though, and she brought me some tea, to which I politely thanked her; discovering her name was Jackie in the process. I noticed the screen flicker then and get all staticy and frowned.

"Your TV broke or something, Jackie?" I asked and she shook her head.

"No. Funny sort of rocks though."

"That's not rocks." Rose said as the picture cleared up a bit and I recognized the aliens on the screen.

"Now what the hell are they doing here?"

The creature roared and I rolled my eyes at what it said.

"Bit rude, that."

"You understood it?" Rose asked, finally noticing me and I immediately looked away, realizing my mistake.

"Ah… no. It just… sounded rude?"

Rose frowned, getting angry. "Oh yeah? Is that right? Because it sure sounded to me like you know what that thing is and what it wants. So I suggest you spit it out right now, because it's more than just your life in danger!"

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose and knowing that there was no other way. "It's a Sycorax and if you _really_ want to know, he called the people of Earth cattle. My skills in their language is a bit rusty, but I can give you the gist of it."

"But how?" Jackie asked. "How do you know that?"

Mickey spoke up though, looking shocked. "You're an alien too, aren't ya?"

I nodded, lifting my head and giving the group a bored look. "Yeah. I'm a Stouhx from the planet Kotruycarro. Lucky me to of ended up here with you lot, otherwise I probably would've ended up in some government facility."

 _Again…_ I shook the thought from my mind, watching as Rose eyed me suspiciously.

"But you look… human."

I shrugged. "I suppose. My species came first though, so it's more the other way around. I'd say my species is more primitive, but you lot are so far behind that you make my species look like Gods." I waved my hand though, knowing we were all getting off topic. "Ah, but never mind about me. We've got bigger problems if the Sycorax have shown up. Mickey, you look good with computers. Can you hack into the military database?"

"I, uh… I can try."

I nodded and after a moment or two, he spoke up again.

"I'm in."

"Good!" I cheered, getting up and heading over with Rose to look at the image on the screen.

"They're tracking a spaceship. It's big, it's fast, and it's coming this way."

"Coming for what though?" Rose questioned. "The Doctor?"

"Doubt it." I hummed. "Like I said, you lot are so far behind in technological advances, it's safe to say they're probably on their way over to conquer you all. The Doctor's probably just the icing on the cake."

"Well, aren't you cheery." Jackie said sarcastically and I gave her a small smile.

"Just stating the facts, Jackie."

The screen changed to an image of the Sycorax as they started speaking.

"I don't understand what they're saying." Rose said, sounding surprised and I gave her a look.

"I'd suspect not. You humans tend to not look farther than your solar system."

She frowned at me. "That's not what I mean. The Tardis translates alien languages inside my head all the time, wherever I am."

"Tardis?" I questioned and she sighed, annoyed with my questions, probably.

"The Doctor's ship."

"Ah."

"Why isn't it translating now then?" Mickey asked and Rose turned back to the screen in worry.

"I don't know. Must be the Doctor. Like he's part of the circuit and he's… he's broken."

"Wish I could help." I muttered and Rose turned to me.

"You can! You can understand it, right?"

I shrugged. "A bit yeah. I'm not fluent in it, but like I said, I can give you a basic summary."

"What's it saying?!" She demanded and I held my hands up in surrender.

"Alright, alright! Hold on!" I listened to the message again, trying my best to translate. "Um, he's saying something about 'the cattle' belonging to them. So I guess that's humanity. And… they're going to take everything from humanity and unless they surrender… they will die. Then they go on to chant about how strong they are."

"Who's 'they'?" Mickey asked and I frowned, eyes narrowed at the screen.

"Good question. They didn't say 'cattle' that time, so it's not humanity, but I honestly couldn't tell you much more than that."

"Well, what good are you then?!" Rose said angrily, pushing me away from the computer as I scowled at her.

"You know, I was only trying to help. No need to get all prissy about it. I'm trying to survive here just like the rest of you are."

"You're not even _from_ here!" She shouted back, making me stiffen. "Why don't you just go home and take t-these stupid Syc-whatevers back with you!"

I watched her eyes widen and knew that my hair had probably changed to a vibrant ginger shade along with my anger, but I promptly turned and went towards the front door, yanking my hood up.

" _Fine_." I snapped. "Good luck dealing with this on your own."

I slammed the door behind me and stormed downstairs, my anger disappointing with every step and turning into something else as I walked to a blue police box on the sidewalk and slumped up against it upon finding its doors locked. I just wanted somewhere I could be alone for a bit, but it seemed I wouldn't even get that as I sighed deeply and sat on the ground with a hand pressed to my head. _God, can't do anything right, can I?_ I leaned my head back against the blue box and smacked it against the doors a few times in frustration before I gazed up at the blue sky; missing the dusty orange and violet skies of my home planet.

"Not like I _can_ go home." I muttered, hearing shouting and turning to look around to see people leaving their homes and heading to the roofs.

I wasn't sure what was going on, but figured it was the Sycorax's doing and knew there was nothing I could do about it. I'd studied a number of alien languages back on my planet, but only knew the general things about various cultures. Just enough to not get me in trouble should I visit the planets, so I knew nothing of the Sycorax and their military power or much else. _I miss home._ A strand of my hair fell into my face and I blew away the dark blue strand before frowning; angry at myself. _What the hell am I doing? I shouldn't be sitting here. The Doctor's up there. He's my only chance of getting home and I'm down here moping?_ I forced myself to stand and brushed off my pants, turning towards Rose's flat once more, before glass shattered and I fell to the ground with my hands clutched tightly over my ears. The spaceship must have gotten through the atmosphere, but I couldn't focus on that as I returned to my crouched position and tried to keep myself conscious as the noise of the ship rattled my eardrums painfully. Even when it stopped, I was trying to making the ringing in my ears go away and couldn't really stand upright with the dizzy spells, but after a moment or two, I was able to and I turned back to Rose's flat with grit teeth and a glare. _I'm not going to let some daft_ human _get to me. Not after all the trouble I went through to find this guy._ Determined, I hurried back up the stairs and down the hall, just as Rose and Mickey came out, carrying the Doctor. I grabbed the Doctor's top half alongside Rose, who glared at me.

"What are you doing?"

"Helping, so I suggest you push aside whatever stupid thoughts are going through your head about me and just let me do this, because right now, you need all the help you can get." I said snappily, not in the mood to argue with her any longer.

She begrudgingly nodded and turned to see Jackie struggling with a number of shopping bags.

"Mum, will you just leave that stuff and give us a hand?!"

"It's food!" She argued. "You said we need food."

"Just—"

"She's right." I cut Rose off. "Doesn't matter where we're taking him, but if we're going to be stuck hiding out somewhere, the more food the better." I paused then, furrowing my brows in confusion. "Where exactly _are_ we going?"

"The Tardis. It's that blue police box on the corner."

"That thing? I thought it was a forgotten movie prop." I mused, glancing over my shoulder at the box. "I'm hoping you've got a way to open it, 'cause it was locked when I tried."

"Why did you try to get in?" Rose asked, looking suspicious.

"It's a police box. I wanted a quiet place to cool my head off and figured a tiny little box would do it." I shrugged, grunting when Rose made me take the Doctor's weight as she opened the Tardis door with a key.

Mickey and I then brought him inside and I very nearly dropped him on the ground upon seeing what was in the Tardis.

"Holy Vlaquok. It's bigger on the inside!" I exclaimed as Rose rolled her eyes and Mickey turned to her.

"No chance you could fly this thing?"

"Not any more. No." She said and he turned to me.

"What about you? You're… well, alien. Can't you do it?"

I helped him set the Doctor down and looked over the console with a wince. "Ah, no. I wouldn't know where to start. Give me a Stouhx ship any day, but this thing?" I flicked some ball on a spring that was sticking up. "Not a chance."

"Rose, you did it before." He said, giving up on me, I suppose.

"I know, but it's sort of been wiped out of my head, like it's forbidden. Try that again and I think the universe rips in half."

"Ah, better not then." He sighed.

"Maybe not."

"So what do we do? Just sit here?"

She threw a hand up. "That's as good as it gets. And you. Whatever your name is."

I frowned. "Claude."

"Right, yeah. Stay away from the controls." She snipped, eyeing me. "I shouldn't have even let you in here, but I did and it's too late now. So just don't touch anything, would ya? The Doctor would kill me."

I held my hands up in surrender and backed away, moving towards the stairs facing the console and leading up to some other part of the ship as Jackie poured some tea from a thermos.

"Right, here we go. Nice cup of tea."

"Mm, solution to everything." Rose drawled out sarcastically, but I smiled at Jackie.

"I'd like a cuppa, if I could."

"Sure thing dear." She smiled back, looking pleased that someone was happy about her tea.

She handed me the lid and passed the thermos itself to Mickey.

"I'll get the rest of the food."

She rushed out and Mickey sported silly grin, trying to ease up the tense atmosphere.

"Tea. Like we're having a picnic while the world come to an end. Very British." He gestured to a part of the console sporting a screen. "How does this thing work? If it picks up TV, maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered. What do you do to it?" He asked, setting the thermos down as he fiddled with some switches on the monitor and Rose headed over.

"I don't know. It sort of tunes itself."

It started beeping and I frowned, getting up and heading over to look at the strange circles on the screen as the beeping stopped.

"Perhaps it's a distress signal."

" _Yeah_ , I think we shouldn't mess with it. Most distress signals can get picked up by just about anyone and if the Sycorax hear it, who knows what will happen."

"Fat lot of good that's gonna do." Rose grumbled and I rolled my eyes as Mickey turned to her with a frown.

"Are you going to be a misery all the time?"

"Yes." She drawled out.

"You should look at it from my point of view." Mickey complained. "Stuck in here with your mum's cooking."

"Where is she?" Rose asked suddenly, before getting up and heading towards the door. "I'd better give her a hand. It might start raining missiles out there."

"Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine." Mickey called out after her.

"Why don't you tell her yourself?"

"I'm not that brave."

"Oh, I don't know." She smiled, heading out and closing the door behind her.

I very nearly dropped my tea when I heard her scream and I bolted up as Mickey rushed to the door with me on his heels.

"Rose?!"

"Get off! Get off me!" Rose called out, Mickey standing outside in shock as was I at the large Sycorax ship we were on. "The door! Close the door!"

I immediately did so, knowing that it'd be bad if the Sycorax got a hold of the advanced technology in the Tardis and two Sycorax grabbed us both and pulled us away and over to another woman and man who were being held in the same situation.

"Rose. Rose!" The woman said, getting a hug from Rose as I swallowed thickly at our predicament. "I've got you. My lord. Oh, my precious thing. The Doctor. Is he with you?"

"Um, a bit indisposed at the moment." I chimed in as Rose agreed.

"We on our own."

The leader of the Sycorax pointed at Rose then and I winced.

"Ooh, that's not good."

"What?" Rose questioned and I went to respond, but the man who was with us did instead.

"'The yellow girl. She has the clever blue box. Therefore, she speaks for your planet'." He translated and I pulled a hand through my now black hair.

"Yeah, better translator than I am, that's for sure." I muttered and the woman spoke up fearfully.

"But she can't!"

"Yeah, I can." Rose argued, stepping forward.

"Don't you dare." Mickey said, also looking pretty scared; though I was one to talk with my hair steadily changing into a darker black color.

"Someone's got to be the Doctor." Rose argued and Mickey tossed a finger at me.

"Then she can do it!"

I looked at him in shock. "Me? I may be a little clever, but I'm nowhere _near_ the Doctor's level from what I've heard about him."

"But you're an alien! Do something!"

All eyes went to me and I held up my hands in surrender.

"First off, you _really_ didn't need to blurt that out Mickey, thanks. And second, not all aliens are the same and there's not really anything I can do."

The leader of the Sycorax pointed to me and I turned to him as he spoke, making me frown.

"Species? Is that really important? There's _nothing_ I can do to you lot."

He argued the point, raising up a rather dangerous looking electrical whip and I stiffened.

"Alright, alright! I'm a… Stouhx from Kotrucarro in the Argosa system."

The Sycorax laughed and I frowned, angrily.

"It's not funny!"

"What'd he say?" Rose asked behind me and I scowled.

"Don't worry about it. And you, translator boy, keep your lips shut."

He nodded and the Sycorax used the end of his staff to shove me back onto the floor away from the others and gave orders for me to be restrained. I growled as two Sycorax grabbed a hold of me and pulled my arms behind me and tied them together before shoving me onto the ground. Needless to say, I really hoped the Doctor got his head in gear because I didn't exactly _want_ to be used as a slave by this group of meat-heads. Rose though, stepped forward, eyes serious despite the older woman telling her she'd be killed.

"I, um… I address the Sycorax… according to Article Fifteen of the Shadow Proclamation."

I raised a brow at that, wondering if she knew what that was or if she'd just heard it from the Doctor at some point.

"I command you to leave this world with all the authority of… the Slitheen Parliament of Raxacoricofallapatorius, and um, the Gelth Confederacy a-as uh..."

The Sycorax leader started walking towards her and her voice grew more fearful.

"...sanctioned by the Mighty Jagrafess and, oh! The Daleks! Now, leave this planet in peace! In peace."

The Sycorax laughed and pointed at Rose as the man behind her translated.

"'You are very, very funny. And now you're going to die'."

"Leave her alone!" The woman shouted, being pulled back by another Sycorax along with Mickey.

"Don't touch her!"

The translator just continued as the Sycorax leader grew closer.

"'Did you think you were clever with your stolen words? We are the Sycorax, we stride the darkness. Next to us you are but a wailing child. If you are the best your planet can offer as a champion—"

"Then your world will be gutted." The Sycorax leader said and I looked at him in surprise at hearing him speak my own language. "And your people enslaved."

"Hold on, that's English." The man said in surprise and the others realized it too.

"He's talking English."

"You're talking English."

"I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive bile." The Sycorax leader growled, Rose growing hopeful.

"That's English. Can you hear English?"

"Yeah, that's English." Mickey replied as the translator nodded.

"Definitely English."

This only frustrated the Sycorax leader more.

"I speak only Sycoraxic!"

"If I can hear English, then it's being translated." Rose said as my eyes widened upon remembering what she'd said before about the Tardis not translating because the Doctor was unconscious. "Which means it's working. Which means..."

We all turned to the Tardis as the doors opened and the Doctor stepped out with a grin.

"Did you miss me?"

The Sycorax leader swung his whip at the Doctor, but the man caught it and threw it aside as he walked out of the blue box.

"You could have someone's eye out with that."

"How dare—" He was cut off again as he swung his staff at the Doctor, who took it and snapped it over his knee like a twig.

"You just can't get the staff." He joked, turning away. "Now, you, just wait. I'm busy. Mickey, hello! And Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North. Blimey, it's like 'This Is Your Life'."

He spotted me then and headed over, pulling me up by the arm with a grin.

"Hello, hello. What're you doing down there on the floor then, Claude?"

I blinked. "Uh, hoping to be forgotten so the Sycorax _won't_ sell me off to the highest bidder?"

"Oh, that's not going to happen. Not while I'm around." He beamed, easily tearing through the bonds on my wrists before rounding about once more and smiling at the others. "Tea! That's all I needed. A good cup of tea. Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing the synapses. Now, first thing's first. Be honest. How do I look?" He asked Rose, who looked absolutely confused by answered anyway.

"Um… different."

"Good different or bad different?"

"Just… different." She replied and I got the feeling that that wasn't the answer the Doctor was looking for.

"Am I… ginger?"

I snorted as Rose answered.

"No. You're just sort of brown."

The Doctor pouted childishly. "I wanted to be ginger. I've never been ginger. And you, Rose Tyler!" He pointed at Rose again, rather rudely. "Fat lot of good you were. You gave up on me!" He stopped suddenly. "Oh, that's rude. That's the sort of man I am now, am I? Rude. Rude and not ginger."

"I'm sorry." Harriet said. "Who is this?"

"I'm the Doctor." Said man chirped, cheerful once more, though his sudden mood swings were giving me a headache; my hair turning brown along with my confusion.

"He's the Doctor." Rose confirmed, making Harriet even more lost.

"But what happened to _my_ Doctor? Or is it a title that's just passed on?"

I nodded, realizing what she was saying. "Yeah. I was looking for you, but I was told you had big ears and a leather jacket."

His hand immediately went up to his ear. "They weren't that big, were they?"

I shrugged, not really knowing, and he turned to Harriet.

"I'm him. I'm literally him. Same man, new face. Well, new everything."

"But you can't be." She breathed out and I raised a brow, wondering just _how_ far behind humans were to not even consider that there might be some alien out there like the Doctor.

"Harriet Jones, we were trapped in Downing Street and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens. It wasn't the war. It was the thought of your mother being on her own." The Doctor rattled off and Harriet's eyes widened.

"Oh my God."

"Did you win the election?" The Doctor asked, curious.

"Landslide majority." She said proudly as the Doctor turned to me.

"And you. Why's your hair keep changing like that?"

I reached a hand up to my head, self-conscious now that everyone was staring. "I-I, uh… It changes with extreme emotions."

He grinned, surprisingly enough. "Oh, that is brilliant."

I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment and quickly pulled my hood up over my head, but not before my hair changed into a light shade of violet and he chuckled; the Sycorax leader finally having enough dilly-dallying.

" _If_ I might interrupt."

"Yes, sorry. Hello, big fella." The Doctor said, turning his attention back to the alien.

"Who exactly are you?"

"Well, that's the question."

That didn't please the Sycorax and he shouted angrily. "I demand to know who you are!"

"I don't know!" The Doctor said back, mocking the Sycorax leader. "See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I-I just don't know. I _literally_ do not know who I am. It's all untested. Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy?" He winked at Rose who smiled a bit as he headed up the steps behind the Sycorax leader. "Right old misery? Life and soul? Right handed? Left handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob. And how am I going to react when I see this, a great big threatening button. A great big threatening button which must not be pressed under any circumstances, am I right? Let me guess. It's some sort of control matrix, hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?"

We headed over as he hurried up the stairs further and checked underneath the 'big threatening button', dipping his finger in something and tasting it; making me wrinkle my nose in disgust.

"And what've we got here? Blood? Yeah, definitely blood. Human blood. A Positive, with just a dash of iron. Ah, but that means… blood control. Blood control! Oh, I haven't seen blood control for _years_. You're controlling all the A Positives. Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem. Because I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a great big threatening button which should never, ever, ever be pressed, then I just want to do this."

He slammed his hand down on the button, making the lot behind me cry out in worry, but I doubted the Doctor would do anything that would hurt anyone, so I just watched as the Sycorax leader shifted uncomfortably.

"You killed them!" The translator guy exclaimed, but the Doctor just smiled away.

"What do you think, big fella? Are they dead?"

"We allow them to live." He grumbled, but the Doctor disagreed.

" _Allow_? You've no choice. I mean, that's all blood control is. A cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis. You can hypnotize someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis. You can't hypnotize them to death. Survival instinct's too strong."

"Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force." The Sycorax leader threatened.

"Well, yeah, you could. Yeah, you could do that, of course you could. But why? Look at these people. These human beings—and Claude. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun, there is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than—No, hold on… Sorry, that's The Lion King. But the point still stands. Leave them alone!"

"Or what?"

"Or—" The Doctor snatched a sword from one of the Sycorax nearby and rushed downstairs. "I challenge you."

Laughter rang out, making me wince at how loud it was, but the Doctor didn't seem to mind.

"Oh, that struck a chord. Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?"

"You stand as this world's champion." The Sycorax leader said, drawing his sword.

"Thank you. I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up." The Doctor chirped happily, without a care in the world as he threw his dressing gown at Rose as I snorted.

"Big ego, much?"

He ignored me. "So, you accept my challenge? Or are you just a cranak pel casacree salvak?"

I winced at the insult, letting out a hiss as the Sycorax leader and the Doctor knelt; the Sycorax leader hissing angrily.

"For the planet?"

"For the planet."

They stood and clashed swords. The Doctor stumbling the first time as the Sycorax leader laughed and they started up again.

"Look out!" Rose called out and I groaned, knowing better than to call out to someone when they're in the middle of fighting.

"Oh, yeah. That helps!" The Doctor said sarcastically, getting up from off the ground. "Wouldn't have thought of that otherwise, thanks."

The Sycorax leader appeared to have the upper hand, elbowing the Doctor at a point and chasing him up the stairs, before the Doctor opened a door outside the ship.

"Bit of fresh air?"

Our group and a few Sycorax followed them outside as they continued to fight. Then the Sycorax leader hit the Doctor across the face and Rose went to intervene, but I grabbed her arm just as the Doctor held out a hand.

"Stay back! Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet!"

Rose backed off and shook off my hand as the Doctor shouted and charged into the fray again. They clashed weapons some more, before the Doctor was forced down on one knee and the Sycorax leader hit him across the head; knocking him back with his head over the edge of the ship. The Sycorax leader brought his sword down and sliced off the Doctor's hand, making my eyes widen and my hair change to black in an instant with how much fear and worry that suddenly overcame me, but the Doctor frowned up at the alien.

"You cut my hand off."

The Sycorax leader cheered, unbothered as the Doctor got up and held up his mangled arm.

"And now I know what sort of man I am. I'm lucky. Because quite by chance I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle, which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy to do this."

Surprisingly enough, his hand just grew back and even the Sycorax leader was shocked.

"Witchcraft."

"Time Lord." The Doctor replied smugly, making my eyes widen in shock as I realized just _who_ exactly the Doctor was.

"No way..." I breathed out, before something was thrown past me and the Doctor caught the sword Rose had thrown his way; spinning it around expertly.

"Oh, so I'm still the Doctor then?" He said to Rose who grinned, finally happy.

"No arguments from me!"

The Doctor smiled, attention back on his opponent. "What to know the best be? This new hand? It's a fighting hand!" He said with a Texan accent, charging back into the fight.

The Sycorax leader seemed to be having a harder time trying to disarm the Doctor than before, and it was the Doctor who ended up disarming him, before slamming the butt of the sword into the Sycorax leader's stomach twice; knocking him to the ground as he pointed the sword at the alien's throat.

"I win."

"Then kill me." The Sycorax leader demanded, but the Doctor wouldn't.

"I'll spare your life if you'll take this Champion's command. Leave this planet and never return. What do you say?"

"Yes." The alien begrudgingly agreed, but the Doctor made sure.

"Swear on the blood of your species."

"I swear."

"There we are then. Thanks for that." The Doctor chirped, once again astounding me with the sudden change of moods as he stabbed his sword into the ground. "Cheers, big fella."

"Bravo!" Harriet cheered as the Doctor headed our way with a smile.

"That says it all. Bravo." Rose said, bounding over to him and helping him into the dressing gown he'd thrown at her earlier.

"Ah, not bad for a man in his jim-jams. Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man. Hold on, what have I got in here?" The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out an orange fruit. "A satsuma. Ah, that friend of your mothers. He does like his snacks doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas? You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old satsuma. Who wants a satsuma?" He questioned, tossing the fruit up in the air as I spotted the Sycorax leader picking up his sword and heading our way.

"Doctor!"

The Doctor tossed the satsuma at the door, hitting a button and making the ground fall out from under the Sycorax leader; making him fall to Earth and reminding me that we were still on a ship.

"No second chances." The Doctor said, face blank. "I'm that sort of a man."

I swallowed thickly, something in the Doctor's look sending a chill down my spine and making me take a step back as he walked past me and back into the ship. Once inside though, he stopped and faced the remaining Sycorax.

"By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time." He told them. "And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet, when you tell them of its riches, its people, its potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this. It is _defended_."

The lot of us were teleported back down on Earth and the wind picked up as Mickey cheered that the Sycorax were leaving. Rose jumped on his back, cheering as well as she told them to leave and such, getting off and hugging her boyfriend, before rushing over and hugging the translator as well. I felt a bit out of place as Harriet went to speak with the Doctor and Mickey, Rose and the translator guy all talked happily, but it wouldn't have been the first time and it most certainly wouldn't be the last either. So, I simply stared up at the leaving ship, feeling my heart ache as homesickness settled in; hearing Jackie show up and the lot start chatting and hugging while I tucked my hands in my pockets and kept my eyes up to the sky. That being said, I jumped when a set of green lasers shot out and blew up the Sycorax ship, my hair turning black as fear settled in and I realized what kind of people I'd just been around who _knew_ I wasn't from this world.

"That was _murder_." The Doctor growled, making me turn shakily towards Harriet who stood there stoically.

"That was defense." She argued, but I knew better.

I knew how humans could be with things that were different. People, aliens, _me_. And I did _not_ want a repeat of what had happened back then. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, drowning out the screaming in my head as I locked my memories and emotions back up tight; knowing I'd let my defenses slip lately with how often my hair has been changing colors.

"But they were _leaving_." The Doctor growled.

"You said yourself, Doctor. They'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth. I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today. Mister Llewellyn and the Major, they were murdered. They _died_ right in front of me while you were sleeping. In which case, we have to defend ourselves." She said, also angry.

"Britain's Golden Age." He snarled, the words spat out like they were disgusting.

"It comes with a price."

"I gave them the wrong warning." The Doctor said, anger rolling off him in waves. "I should've told them to run as fast as they can. Run and hide because the monsters are coming. The _human race_."

"Those are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf."

"Then I should have stopped you."

"What does that make you, Doctor? Another alien threat? You and your friend over there?" Harriet questioned him, gesturing to me and making me step back and swallow back the growl that threatened to rumble in my throat.

"Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones, because I'm a completely new man." He snapped at her, stalking towards her angrily. "I could bring down your government with a single word."

"You're the most remarkable man I've ever met… but I don't think you're quite capable of that."

"No, you're right. Not a single word… just six."

"I don't think so." She said, but she sounded like she was convincing herself

"Six words."

"Stop it!"

"Six."

He started walking towards the translator, said something to him, then walked back to where the rest of the group was and draped a hand over my shoulders; making me flinch. He eyed me in either concern or curiosity—I wasn't sure—but pulled me along with him as our little group left; hearing Harriet Jones panicking behind us, but not once did he turn. As we headed off, we popped back into Jackie's flat and they chatted for a bit as I stood awkwardly by the front door, before the Doctor gave me a look.

"What're you doing over there, Claude? Stop being a door post and come join us."

"But, uh… I-I don't really… You know, I—"

"Oh, nonsense!" He said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me over as I hung onto my hood so it wouldn't fall down and reveal how nervous I was with my—now grey—hair. "Join the fun! Jackie will take good care of you!"

"But Doctor, I—"

He cut me off when he pushed me down into a chair at their dining room table, pointing a finger at me.

"We'll talk later about whatever it is you needed me for. For now, just enjoy! It's Christmas after all."

I begrudgingly nodded as he bounded off to go change, and I joined in the Tyler's festivities hesitantly until he returned and they moved on to Christmas crackers. Rose and the Doctor got a paper crown, before Rose gestured to the TV where Harriet Jones was getting questioned by the media, before the phone rang and Jackie went to go answer it.

"It's Beth. She says go and look outside." She called out to Rose, who looked confused.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Just go outside and look. Come on! Shift!"

Everyone got up and pulled on their coats, hurrying outside as I followed a bit slower in my hoodie. Snow fell down lightly and lights streaked across the sky, everyone laughing and tossing some at one another.

"Wow, that's beautiful. What are they? Meteors?" Rose asked, but the Doctor frowned.

"It's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere. This isn't snow, it's ash."

"Okay. Not so beautiful." She muttered as he went on.

"This is a brand new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now. Everyone saw it. Everything's new."

 _And scary._ I mused, feeling a shiver go through me as a breeze cut through my hoodie; never being one for the cold since my home planet stayed rather warm year round.

"And what about you?" Rose asked the Doctor. "What are you going to do next?"

"Well… back to the Tardis. Same old life." He replied.

"On your own?"

"Why? Don't you want to come?" He asked her and she nodded.

"Well, yeah."

"Do you though?"

"Yeah!" She pushed.

"I just thought, because I changed."

"Yeah. I thought, because you changed you might not want me anymore." She said nervously and I shuffled a bit again, feeling as though I shouldn't be there.

"Oh, I'd love you to come."

"Okay." She laughed, before I flinched as Mickey suddenly spoke up.

"You're never going to stay, are you?"

Rose turned to him sadly. "There's just so much out there. So much to see. I've got to."

"Yeah." He muttered as Jackie spoke up.

"Well, I reckon you're mad. The pair of you. It's like you go looking for trouble."

The Doctor smiled. "Trouble's just the bits in-between. It's all waiting out there, Jackie, and it's brand new to me." He said, wrapping an arm around Jackie's shoulders. "All those planets, and creatures and horizons. I haven't seen them yet! Not with these eyes. And it is going to be… fantastic."

He held out a hand to Rose, who chuckled.

"That hand of yours still gives me the creeps." She took his hand anyway though. "So, where are we going to go first?"

"Um, that way." He said, pointing up at the sky. "No, hold on." He pointed a little more to the right. "That way."

"That way?" Rose asked, pointing up with him.

"Hm?"

"Yeah. That way."

The two chuckled and looked up at the sky a bit more, before the Doctor turned to me.

"Right! Claude! Nearly forgot about you, you're so quiet. How about you and I have a nice little chat in here so we can figure out what we're going to do about you. Hm?" He said, tossing a thumb at the Tardis.

"Um, alright." I shrugged as he turned to Rose with a grin.

"Rose, I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning. Give you a chance to sleep, grab a few things, have breakfast, stuff like that. That alright?"

She nodded. "Sure, yeah. You better come back though."

He nodded. "Course! Can't forget about you, Lewis."

He winked, making her chuckle before opening the doors to the Tardis and nodding for me to head in first. He followed after me and hurried to the console, flipping levers and twisting knobs before I was forced to hang onto the railed behind me as the ship lurched with this wheezing, grinding noise and settled down smoothly a few moments later. The Doctor then turned to me as he leaned back against the console.

"So, Claude Bennet." He said my name like trying out a new, complicated word. "First thing's first. Who sent you after me?"

I blinked, hesitating at the serious probing gaze he sent me. "Um, not so much 'sent me after you' as much as 'suggesting I find you because you're the only one who could possibly help me'. And, um, it was Jack. Jack Harkness. Bumped into him in 1927 in New York City and he helped me out of a rough spot. Got to know him, helped him out a bit and he got to know me. Suggested I find you after we were… forced to split ways in 1940." I said with the slightest of winces, not wanting the Doctor to pry into what happened in those years.

"Jack, huh. I wondered where he got off to." The Doctor hummed, giving me a chance to relax a bit. "Alright then, I'll take that. So what is it you need my help with then, Claude? You're obviously not human. What species are you?"

"Stouhx." I replied, feeling like I was telling everyone what I was now and it unnerved me a bit. "From Kotruycarro in the Argosa system."

"Argosa system! Blimey, it's been a long time since I've been there." H said with a grin, pulling a hand through his hair. "Wouldn't mind another visit. And Stouhx you said? I haven't heard of them for _ages_! It explains your hair problem, definitely, though aren't your eyes supposed to be an unnatural color too?"

"Oh, I forgot." I reached up and removed the colored contacts I was wearing to reveal my violet irises. "Better?"

He grinned. "Much. So? What can I help you with, Claude?"

 _This is where things get dicey._

"I, um… I would like to go home. Check on my family, if I could." I said, idly scratching at my arm where I knew that gecko had moved to.

The Doctor's expression changed into a confused frown. "Right. Earth is a long way from home for you." He said, bounding around the console once more and preparing to send the ship off. "How'd you end up all the way down here?"

"There was… There was a war." I muttered, head bowed as the Doctor stopped for a second. "There were only a few Selected left and they sent the three of us away to keep us safe. We looked enough like humans that they sent us here, but two didn't survive. One landed in the bottom of the Antarctic Ocean, couldn't escape. The other froze to death not far from that one. I got lucky and was found before that could happen."

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said, but I shrugged, having long gotten over the deaths that were complete accidents "What about your ship? Couldn't you head home on your own?"

I shook my head, moving towards the jump seat and sitting down. "No. It was more like an escape pod. One way only. And by the time I was healed up enough to look for it, it had been buried in the snow."

"Right… What _are_ the Selected, might I ask?"

I waved a hand. "Nothing special, really. Legend has it that the Being came down in the form of a beast and created life out of the earth, used his tears to create the oceans, and his anger created natural disasters. But he gave a few of the Stouhx markings with a life of their own. Moving tattoos, if you would. These were the Selected, who could shape-shift into one of his many images. I had a friend who could become a fearsome beast. He was enlisted immediately in the war and died not long afterward. I wasn't. I couldn't even fight, but they still wanted to save me, because I was one of the few Selected left." I sighed, staring down at my hands as the little black tattoo gecko walked over my palm and the back of my hand for the Doctor to see. "A lizard and a ring-tailed mongoose. Not very useful creatures to turn into when there's a war going on."

"But you're alive, aren't you? You should be glad."

I scoffed. "Oh, right. I should be happy that I was useless and sent away when I could've been doing something. Protecting my _family_." I snapped, before taking a deep breath and calming down. "Sorry. I just… want to see if they're okay. That's all."

"And if they're not?" He questioned, coming over and sitting beside me. "Claude, you have to consider the fact that everyone might _not_ be alright. It was a war and… there might not be anything left to return to."

"I know..." I muttered, a blue strand of hair falling into sight as I bowed my head sadly. "But I need that. I-I… need some finality to all this. If they're gone, then I'll mourn and move on. If they're not, then I hope to be welcomed home. To see my family again. My husband, my _kids_."

My voice cracked upon thinking about my little boy and girl back home, possibly dead or even caught up in an ongoing battle and having to fight for their own lives. Or whether they were alright and simply waiting for me to come home, counting out the days, hours, _years_ that I've been gone. An arm wrapped around my shoulders, holding me up against the Doctor as I let out a small sniffle and bit my bottom lip as a tear slipped down my face.

"I-I just want to go home." I cried and the Doctor nodded, resting his head on mine.

"I know… I know."


End file.
